Means for handling and distributing parcels, bales, loads, and other articles.



A. G. SEAMAN. MEANS FOR HANDLING AND DISTRIBUTING PARCELS, BALES, LOADS, AND OTHER ARTICLES.

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Wmesses: f ti% p A. e. SEAMAN. v MEANS FOR HANDLING AND DISTRIBUTING PARCELS, BALES, LOADS, AND OTHER ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9, 1912.

1,100,262, Patented June 16, 1914.

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MEANS FOR HANDLING AND DISTRIBUTING PARCELS, BALES, LOADS, AND OTHER ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9, l9lZ.

1, 1 00,262. Patented June 16, 1914.

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is zwm A; G. SEAMAN. MEANS FOR HANDLING AND DISTRIBUTING PARCELS, BALBs,,L0ADs, AND OTHER ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9, 1912.

1, 1 00,262, Patented June 16, 1914.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

. i A. G. SEAMAN. v MEANS FOR HANDLING AND DISTRIBUTING PARCELS, BALES, LOADS, AND OTHER ARTICLES.

. APPLIGATION FILED JULY 9,1912. 1,100,262, Patented June 16,1914.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR GEORGE SEAMAN, OF BOWDEN, ENGLAND.

MEANS r03. HANDLING AND ms rimanrnvd PARCELS, BALES, LOADS, AND OTHER ARTICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 9, 1912. Serial No. 708,446.

Loads, and other Articles, of which the following is a specification Thisinvention relates to improvements in and relating to means for handling and distributing parcels, bales, loads, or other articles, and it relates to a system in which a number of self propelled vehicles are arranged to travel upon a track at predetermined intervals of time or space calling at bays, stations, or sidings to deliver their loads, and it has for its object to provide for the automatic dispatch of a carriage from a station, siding, bay, or other-point or place where it is at rest on to the main llhe in a manner that there shall be no collisibn between it and the vehicles already traveling thereon.

Now accordin to the present invention I provide means or controlling the dispatch of the vehicles from the siding are themselves controlled by the 'fact that there will or will not be a sufiieient interval of time or space between the vehicles on the main track to permit the vehicle from the siding to take its place u on the said main track without collision wlth the vehicles already traveling thereon.

lin order that the invention may be the better understood, drawings are appended illustrating an embodiment of the invention,

- showin and in which Figure 1. is a diagrammatic plan of a dispatching station arranged according to the present system. Fig. 2. is a similar view of one form of regulating device for the dispatch of the carriages. Fig. 3. is a diagrammatic view illustrating the operation of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is a similar' View of an alternative form of regulating device. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view certain operations of the parts shown 1n Fig. 4. Fig. 5. is a plan view showing the arrangement of certain partsof the regulator mechanism. Fig. 6. is a dlagrammatic view illustrating an arrangement whereby the dispatch of the carria e can only take place if a certain stretch o mam which means track is entirely free, so that when the dispatched carriage enters the main track there will be room for it. Fig. 7. is a diagrammatic view illustrating an arrangement whereby the dis atch of the carriage can only take place if all the carriages which have entered a certain stretch of main track have already left it.

Starting with the assumption that a stream of the maximum possible safe number of carriages is circulatin around a main track, all 'at the same uni orm full speed, and all separated by the same minimum safe interval, the stream could be said to comprise carriage, interval, carriage, interval If one carriage were turned into a siding, that part of the stream would then comprise carriage, interval, gap, interval, carriage. It is clear that if a carriage is to be dispatched out of a siding into the main stream, it must be made to take its place automatically in this gap, and that the carriage must be started at exactly thetrack being accelerated to full speed, must ever be at one and the same time. Then the average time is ascertained which will elapse from the time a carriage is started from the dispatchin station (1 Fig. 1, until it has passed completely ger area D. A. From this time, the distance on the main track is calculated which a carriage moving at constant full speed will travel in that time. This distance is laid off backward, or up-stream, from the entry into the danger area. A tread rail n, Fig. 1, is placed here. If at the time that a carria e runnin at full speed traverses the tree -rail another carriage is dispatched from the station a the two carriages would enter the danger area at the same time, and there would be a collision. If the carriages running at constant full speed on the main track, are at practically equal distances apart, they will :PZIQSQEI given place,

through the dansay the tread rail n at equal time intervals, and they will so'to speak beat time on the tread rail. If there is a carriage missing, that is, if there is room for another carriage to come into the stream, a beat will be missed when the gap passes the tread rail. To make it impossible to start a carriage from a siding, except in time with this beat on the tread rail 12, I use a start ing regulator, which switches current on to the starting magnet S circuit, Fig. 1, for short periods which are in time with the beat. As the beat will not' be quite regular and as moreover a carriage may only be started when a beat on the tread rail n is missed, I employ a starting regulator which takes the form of a motor driven pendulum or metronome switch. The speed of the driving motor is automatically regulated, in a manner to be described later, so that one of the contacts of the tread rail 01 is periodically connected to a pole of the power suppl mains synchronously with the beat 0 the carriages on the tread rail n. Whenever a beat is missed, that is, whenever there is room on the main track for the carriage which is waiting to be dispatched, the following circuit will be closed: '9 g", 7c7: of tread rail a, solenoid S, starting switch j (which will have been closed by the operator as soon as the carriage is ready to leave) and back to negative ole. The completion of this circuit causes tie solenoid S to close the main switch M, in this case a 3 phase current supply in y z is shown, which is held closed by the catch'O under the action of the spring 0 while the carriage starts, speeds up and enters the main track. When it passes over the tread rail p, the solenoid O withdraws the catch 0, thus allowing the spring 0 to again open the main switch M.

In Figs. 2 and 5 which are diagrammatical drawings in elevation and plan respectively, of the timing switch, d is the armature ot a shunt-wound motor having a fly wheel on the same shaft. The motor drives a shaft d through a suitable speed reducing train of gear wheels or the like, so that the number of revolutions per minute of the shaft (55 corresponds to the average number per minute of carriages passing the tread rail n, see Fig. 1, above referred to. This shaft'al carries a semicircular contact piece or half commutator e, and a contact arm 9, which can connect contact brushes c and e and g and g respectively. When a tread rail It on. the track is depressed, an insulating piece 72, is withdrawn from between two spring contacts 71. and allows these to touch each other. Current can only flow throu h the contacts h when the tread rail h is depressed, and the half com-- mutator 6 makes contact between 6 and e at the same time. Then resistance 03 in series with the armature d, is short-circuited, which causes the motor to run faster. A speed regulating rheostat d in series with the armature and the aforesaid resistance d provides a means of setting by hand the speed of the motor slightly slower than the beat of the carriages on the tread rail, see Fig. 1, and contact of the wheel of the vehicle with the rail 7L closes the contact h while contact of the said wheel with the rail n opens the circuit at the contact points k, la. A relay may also be provided and may consist of a magnet or solenoid i, an insulating piece "6 and two spring contacts g 9*, which make contact with each other so long as the magnet is energized and the insulating piece is kept from between them. These contacts 9 and g" are in series with the dispatching switch j 35 and the tread rail n in Fig. 1. Whenever the arm 9 completes its connection and the tread rail '21., Fig. 1, is not depressed, the relay switches current on to the power circuit in the siding so that the carriage can start. A resistance 2' in series with the magnet coil 2', limits the current passing through 2', Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 illustrates diagrammatically the princi le on which the short-circuiting of the a oresaid resistance 0i is controlled so as to automatically vary the speed of the motor and make it agree with the average time-interval between the beats of the carriages on the rail. 0 in Fig. 3 represents the duration and time of the contacts made by e in Fig. 2, k the time and duration of the contact made by h of Fig. 2.

The motor is regulated by rheostat, (1 Fig. 2 to run slightly slower than the speed which corresponds to synchronism with the beat of the carriages on the tread rail h.

In Fig. 3 the arrows 72. represent the duration of the beat of the carriages on the tread rail h of Fig. 2, the space between the arrows representing the time intervals between the beats. Similarly the arrows 0 represent the duration of contacts of the arm 6 Fig. 2, and the spaces between them the time intervals between the contacts. In the figures it 1 5 will be understood that an imaginary cycle of contacts is shown de icting the gradual dropping behind of the beat, and the spaces 0 c c 0 indicate the amount of time during which both contacts are closed and the resistanceshort circuited, and consequently the motor speeded up. In practice it will be so arranged that the desired effect will be attained when the duration of the contacts is approximately that represented by the 12:;

space 0 v Fig. 4, shows an alternative arrangement in which the speed regulation is efiected by short circuiting a resistance f in series with the field winding, while the motor is made 13.

to run faster instead of slower than corresponds with synchronism. In Fig. 4, .thet corresponding parts are all designated by the same letters and numbers as in Fig. 2, and in addition 7 is the resistance in series. with the field, and 2' is a relay solenoid or magnet which as in the previous case may be connected with a resistance 2' in series to the positive and negative supply.- The arm 9 short circuits this solenoid, andallows a conductive body to make contact between terminals 9, g and which are connected to the other apparatus as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 illustratesdiagrammatically the principle on which the short circuiting of the field resistance f is controlled so as to slow down the speed whenever it gets too fast for the beat of the carriages on the tread rail 18. In this case as in the previous example an imaginary cycle of operations is illustrated and the arrows 7& indicate the duration of the beat of the carriages on tread rail 71, of Fig. 4, the space between the arrows representing the time intervals between the beats. The arrows 6 represent the duration of the contact of 6 Fig. 4, and the spaces between them the time interval. In this case, however, the motor at Fig. 4, is regulated by the rheostat 03 to run slightly faster than corresponds to the beat of the carriages on the tread rail if. The spaces 0 0 c 0 indicate the times during which both the contact-s e and h are closed simultaneously.

Fig. 6, illustrates diagrammatically the method of governing the time'of starting by space intervals. In this case I employ a continuous series of tread rails extending from the danger area DA back about twice as far as the tread rail n is from DA in Fig. 1. This series or chain of tread-rails consists of any convenient number of separate tread rails, and its total length is equal to the minimum space-interval that is necessary in order to leave room for the carriage that is to come out of the station. It represents interval, carriage, interval or interval, gap, intervaL? Each oft-he tread-rails when up closes contacts in the same way as shown for tread-rail n in Fig. 1, and all the-contacts are connected'in series. After the starting switch j has been closed the carriage will start from the siding immediately all the tread rails of the series are up,

for then the solenoids will be energized and g the main switch M closed.

In the drawings the tread rails are numbered 2, 4, G, 8, and 10, and are connected in series with each other by conductors 1, 3, 5. 7 and 9. The tread-rail n of Fig. 1, is shown dotted in Fig. 6, in order to indicate the positions of the treadrails in relation to it and to the starting point a Alternatively I may employ a discriminating controller, as described in the British arrow 6 and the tread rail 0 to the other magnet 00 which makes the controller spindle turn one tooth in the opphsite direction, shown by arrow 0 The controller spindle t has mounted on it a contact arm or segment 22 which in the position shown electrically connects contact terminals 9 g together. These latter are connected to the remaining apparatus in the same way as the correspondingly marked contacts 9 and 9 in Figs. 1, 2 and'4.

The position of tread rail switch is shown dotted in Fig. 7, and marked a corresponds to the position of the tread rail n, in Fig. 1, and is added here to show positions of tread rails i and O in this arrangement in relation to that of tread rail n in the abovementioned arrangement. The distance from O to i represents the length of intervalcarriage-interval or intervalgap.interval.

The controller having been set to make contact, as shown, when there is no carriage on the stretch i to O, the first carriage passing tread rail 2', causes magnet 41 to move contact piece t one step or tooth in the direction i and breaks theconnection between g and 9 If when this first carriage passes point a, a second carriage following it passes tread rail 71, the controller will be moved a second step farther away from its contact position. It will now require tread rail 0 to be actuated twice so that magnet to can return contact t two steps in the opposite direction O before contact is made between terminals and In other words the. controller'count's all the carriages passing into it and out of the stretch to O, and its position is determined by the balance of the carriages still between i and 0. Unless all the carriages that entered the stretch have left it, that is, unless the stretch is empty, a carriage cannot be started out of the siding, because the connection g and g is broken.

It is clear from the foregoing .description that in place of the tread rails, rubbing electrical contacts may be used.

Claims. a

1. Means for the safe dispatch 'of vehicles from a siding or other place ofl' the main track, comprising a power circuit,"a switch in said circuit and means'controlling said switch whereby'the said powerfcir'cuitis safely permit the introduction of another vehicle occurs in the succession of vehicles on the main track.

2. Means for the safe dispatch of vehicles from a siding or other place off the main track, comprising a power circuit, and means insaid circuit whereby the current is allowed to pass to the vehicles on the siding when a gap of sufiicient length to safely permit the introduction of another vehicle occurs in the succession of vehicles on the main track. I

Means for the safe dispatch of the vehicle's from a siding or other place off the main track, comprising a power circuit, a switch for said circuit, means controlling the power switch whereby the said power circuit is closed when a gap of sufiicient length to safely permit the introduction of another vehicle occurs in the succession of vehicles on the main. track, and means for varying the intervals between the operation of the controlling means according to the variation in the speed of the said vehicles upon the main track.

4. Means for the safe dispatch of the vehicles from a siding or' other place off the main track, comprising a power circuit, a switch in said circuit and means controlling the said switch so that the power circuit is closed when a gap of suflicient length to safely permit the introduction of another vehicle occurs in the succession of vehicles on the main track, and an electric motor for operating said power switch controlling means.

5. Means for the safe dispatch of the vehicles from a siding orother place off the main tracl, comprising a power circuit, a switch in s: id circuit and means controlling the said switch so that the power circuit is closed when a gap of sufiicient length to safely permit the introduction of another vehicle occurs in the succession of vehicles onthe main track, an electric motor for operating said power switch controlling means, and means for varying the intervals between the closing of the said power switch controllingmeans according to the variation in the speed of the said vehicles upon the main track.

6; Means for the safe dispatch of the vehicles from a siding or other place off the main track, comprising a power circuit, a switch in said circuit and means controlling the said switch so that the power circuit is clcsed when a gap of sufiicient length to safely permit the introduction of another vehicle occurs in the succession of vehicles on the main tr'ack,.an electric motor for operating said power switch controlling means, a rheostat for regulating the speed of the motor, and means for varying the intervals between the closing of the said power switch controlling means according to the variation in the speed of the said vehicles upon the main track.

7. Means for the safe dispatch of" the vehicles from a siding or other place ofi' the main track, comprlsing a power circuit, a

switch in said circuit and means controlling the said switch so that the power circuit is closed when a gap of sufficient length to safely permit the introduction of another vehicle occurs in the succession of vehicles on the main track, an electric motor for operating said power switch controlling means, a rheostat for regulating the speed of the motor, a resistance in circuit with said motor and means operated by the vehicle on the main track whereby the resistance is cut out of the motor circuit.

8. Means for the safe dispatch of the vehicles from a siding or other place ofi the main track, comprising a power circuit, a switch in said circuit and means controlling the said switch so that the power circuit is closed when a gap of sullicient length to safely permit the introduction of another vehicle occurs in the succession of vehicles safely permit tie introduction of another vehicle occurs in the succession of vehicles on the main track, an electric motor for operating said power switch controlling means, a rheostat for regulating the speed of the motor, a rcsistance in the motor circuit and means for short circuiting this resistance operated by the vehicles on the main track.

10. Means for the safe dispatch of the vehicles from a siding or other place off the main track, comprising a power circuit, a switch for said circuit, a. magnet operating said switch, a hand operated switch in said magnet circuit, a catch holding said first named switch in the closed position, a magnet for releasing the catch, a pair of contacts normally closed in said first magnet circuit, said contacts being opened on the passage of the vehicle out of the siding, a pair of contacts normally open in the second magnet circuit said contacts being closed on the passage of the vehicle on the main track, and circuit closing means operating to close the first magnet circuit whe a g of sufficient length to sately permit the introduction of another vehicle occurs in the succession of vehicles on the main track.

11. Means for thesafe dispatch of the Vehicles from a siding or other p e ff the main track, comprising a power circuit, a switch for said circuit, a magnet operating said switch, a hand operated switch in said magnet circuit, a catch holding said power switch in the closed position, a magnet for releasing the catch, a, pair of contacts normally closed in said first magnet circuit, said contacts being opened on the passage of the vehicle on the main track, a pair of contacts normally open in the second magnet circuit said contacts being closed on the passage of the vehicle out of the siding,

circuit closing means operating to close the first magnet circuit when a gap of sufficient length to safely permit the introduction of another vehicle occurs in the succession of vehicles on the main track, a shunt wound electric motor, a spindle driven by said motor, a resistance in series with the armature of said motor, an arm upon said spindle closing contacts in the power switch circuit, a body upon said spindle closing contacts in the resistance clrcuit, and a second pair of contacts in said circuit whereby the resistance in the armature circuit may be short eircuited, said second pair of contacts being closed by means of the vehicles on the mam track.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of the undersigned witnesses.

ARTHUR GEORGE SEAMAN.

WVitnesses ERNoLn SIMPsoN. 'MosELEY, MALCOLM SMETHURST. 

